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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

This actually happened in 2011 in Richmond Heights in Miami Dade County, FL, but it's been all over the net recently, and it's worth examining in view of all the other cases of out-of-control cops in recent months.

The episode is one more outrageous overreach by brutal brown shirts.

My brother is a retired cop and he NEVER behaved in this way. In fact some of the bad guys would ask for Sergeant Schneider because they knew he was fair. What do we have now?

I received the following today from Mass Resistance with the latest information about Justina. Please visit their ACTION PAGE and make at least three contacts (a Trinity in honor of our Triune God). This little girl needs to go home and, with the chaos at DCF, her death from physical neglect of her medical condition is a very real possibility. Please act. And if you can support Mass Resistance with a donation go here. They do great work!

MassResistance
Update

Pro-family
activism

"In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a
revolutionary act."- George Orwell

Battle to free Justina
Pelletier continues in Massachusetts. On the streets and in the State
House!

The battle to free 15-year-old Justina Pelletier from her
custody -- many have called it captivity -- by the Massachusetts Department of
Families and Children (DCF) bureaucracy has become even more heated over the
past week. And it has continued to make news internationally and be documented across the Internet.

There were a lot of signs like this
outside the State House on Tuesday.[Photos by
MassResistance]

Shocking
deaths of children force sudden resignation of DCF head

On
Tuesday the Commissioner of DCF, Olga Roche, was forced to resign after three young children in DCF's care
were recently found dead through apparent negligence by the department. The deaths of these children
have shocked the region, and have taken some of the public's attention off of
the Justina Pelletier DCF case.

Governor continues
to refuse to act

The Governor has continued to shamefully
defend the process and claim that he can do nothing to stop it:

* Last week, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick stated that
the decision to remove Justina from her parents was made "based on a detailed
record of the history of neglect in the home." That was blatantly false, and
the local press wasted no time excoriating the Governor for
this unwarranted attack on the family.

* But also last week,
Governor told a family representative that he wanted to get Justina
home and that his administration has "appeared in court to have her sent
home to Connecticut" but that "the court has jurisdiction in this matter, not
us."

* On Thursday, the Governor's Health and Human Services
Secretary John Polanowicz wrote an email to the Connecticut media, where Justina's
family lives, saying that Massachusetts would like to release Justina,
but "DCF does not have the authority to determine when and if custody should be
returned to Justina's parents" because of the judge's ruling "that it is in the
best interest of Justina to remain in DCF custody for now.
"

Can the Governor free Justina? Given that she is a
citizen of Connecticut, and given the other enormous irregularities of this
case, and given that he controls DCF, it's hard to believe that an executive
order in that regard would not be possible. But if not, the Legislature
can.

Bill to free Justina being temporarily
blocked in Mass. House

The bill in the Massachusetts
Legislature which would overrule the judge and free Justina immediately, HD 4212, written by MassResistance and filed on April 4,
continues to be blocked by the Democratic leadership in the House, despite
national outrage and a flood of calls and emails from across the country. (More
about the bill can be found on our Free Justina Action Page.)

On Friday, the national conservative magazine Human Events reported on the bill, its blockage in the
Legislature, and the controversy over whether the Governor has the power to free
her himself:

"If Justina Pelletier dies in the state's care,
that's on the hands of Gov. Deval L. Patrick," said Brian Camenker, founder and
executor director of Mass Resistance, a Waltham-based pro-family action center,
who filed H.D. 4212 with the state House in early April. If signed into law, the
measure would release 15-year-old Justina to her parents Linda and Lou Pelletier
who reside in West Hartford, Conn."

Members of the family describe
Justina, who was an athlete and competitive skater in declining health and in a
wheel chair, he said. "I don't have the medical evidence but some say she could
die."

Protest at State House in support of bill to free
JustinaThe demonstration for Justina outside of the State
House.

On Tuesday, about two dozen people demonstrated outside of the
Massachusetts State House to support Justina and demand the Legislature pass the
bill to free her. They filled the outside steps with stuffed animals for
Justina. Four Republican State Representatives who have been vocal on Justina's
behalf briefly came out and joined them in solidarity with their push to get the
bill passed.

Over a hundred stuffed animals for Justina on the
steps of the State House!

Republican State Reps (from left) Marc
Lombardo, Jim Lyons, Shaunna O'Connell, and Geoff Diehl came out from the budget
debates to show their support.

Justina's sister talked about how Justina
doesn't even know that one of her pets has died because the State of
Massachusetts' DCF bureaucrats won't allow the family to discuss anything with
her that's not approved by them.

Administration's claim to media shows why the Legislature must
act!

The email sent by Massachusetts Health and Human Services
Secretary John Polanowicz to the Connecticut media includes a number of disputed
claims about Justina's health and well-being while in DCF custody. However, it
reflects the Governor's position that no matter how he says he "feels" about the
situation, he intends to let the Juvenile Court decision stand.

Thus,
barring a successful court action by the family's attorneys, such as the recent
habeas corpus filing, Justina is at the mercy of the Juvenile Court
judge, and by extension the DCF bureaucracy. But this is no "normal" case by any
measure. The judge's actions in this case have been excoriated even by liberal law professor Alan Dershowitz.

Besides
a successful legal challenge there is only one other option: The Legislature can
act to free Justina. But the Democratic leadership is bottling it
up.

Continue pounding on the legislators to get
this bill passed!

This week is being taken up by the budget
deliberations in the Mass. House. But we're not letting that stop us. Go
to our Free Justina Action Page and keep the pressure up! (And to
those in Massachusetts: If you are willing to go and lobby at the State House,
let us know!)

Support our work . . .Your help makes it possible! We are funded by
individuals.

Better yet - become a monthly donor (email us back to get set
up)!Donations can also be mailed to:
MassResistance, PO Box 1612, Waltham, MA 02454ALL donations are
confidential. MassResistance does not sell or lend any of its
lists.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

I think we should all start calling the NAACP the National Association for the Abortion of Colored People.

You know, as I think about it, why isn't everyone up in arms over the use of the term "colored people." Hey, this is 2014! (Just ask Bill O'Reilly.) We aren't allowed to use the term "Negro" (as Clive Bundy learned from Bill's sanctimonious scolding) and "colored people" is from the same era.

Interesting how these word things work. Humpty Dumpty heads up the Department of Politically Correct Semantics and gives the stamp of approval to his minions while cracking heads of those with whom he disagrees who use identical terms. Do you feel like you are experiencing the Chinese curse of living in "interesting times?"

N.B. For those who don't get the Humpty Dumpty allusion, you will find it in Alice Through the Looking Glass. It's not too late to advance your education through reading good literature especially good children's literature. As a matter of fact, I recommend it when the world is looking grim. A healthy dose of Heidi or The Black Stallion series or the Narnia tales, or The Secret Garden or The Princess and Curdiewill delight and refresh your soul. Remember what Jesus said about little children? Personally, I enjoy all of Rumer Godden's books including her children's stories. My little granddaughter and I love to snuggle up in the recliner and read The Old Lady Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle, which Godden says in a footnote was probably an old oast house which was part kiln for drying hops as part of the brewing process. My goodness, what you can learn from children's stories! What not be a kid today and enjoy a treasure from your childhood.

I spent eight years counseling at AAA Women for Choice in Manassas which is located directly next door to an abortion mill previously run by Harman Vanderwoude (deceased -- please pray for him). Harman was a hard-core atheist and reveled in killing babies.

Well, I just got an email that lifted my heart and I'm sure the hearts of Pat Lohman (director of AAA) and all her counselors. Read it and rejoice:

The letter below is from 40 Days for Life. Fr. VanderWoude also announced this from the pulpit today. This is the abortionist that I sent around an email about a few weeks ago.

We
received some wonderful news today from our ardent prayer warrior Ken Groves. I
could not think of a better example of the endless mercy and the treasure of
inexhaustible compassion that God bestows on us. Especially since the Catholic
Church is celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday this weekend.

It's not about the birds and the bees any more. Most sex ed programs are based on Planned Parenthood's agenda that kids are little lust machines who need to be indoctrinated in contraceptive methods with abortion as a backup. Spend an hour on PP's website and you'll see all kinds of vile material that encourages kids to experiment with dangerous behaviors including "outercourse." PP is evil, plain and simple. Don't let them get their claws into your kids! Want strategies for fighting this federally-funded monstrosity? Go to STOPP.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Got a fun email tonight telling me I was a winner in the Catholic Review blog poetry contest (Baltimore Archdiocese) which involved writing a poem about Pope Francis to celebrate his first anniversary as pope. I won a box of pasta. LOL! In the interests of transparency I have to make the following statement.

I wish I could say I won among thousands of entries, but I think there were only eight. Competition being slim, this is unlikely to result in a contract for a book of poems. I was an undergrad English major with a particular love for Shakespeare so I wrote a sonnet. While it's unlikely (okay, more like impossible) that I'll ever compose a sonnet like the least of Shakespeare's, it was fun playing around with the form. And here is the result:

For Pope Francis on His First Anniversary

To Peter's chair he came, a big surpriseWith love for Lady Poverty his mark,Refusing pomp and trappings, he abidesIn simple rooms outside the papal park.St. Peters's has not seen his like beforeAlthough that could be said of every pope.Each is unique in place and time, what's moreEach offers to his age the gift of hope.Pope Francis is God's gift for these hard daysWhen mankind seems intent on suicide.He calls us to be brave, embracing waysThat call to all to rush to Jesus' side.And while we cannot know the day or hour,We still can till the garden for the flower.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Scary stuff. Please pray for this patriotic American family. They don't deserve any of this. If the feds wanted money all they had to do was put a lien on their property. The armed assault was out of the Twilight Zone and when they come next the feds will probably kill people like they did at Waco and Ruby Ridge. Is there any reason to doubt it?

We are living in a dystopian society run by tyrants who think there are no limits on their power. Is it just a coincidence that dystopian films like The Hunger Games and Divergence are appearing on our screens? It's real; it's now. Most people are wage slaves like the districts in The Hunger Games. The rich, especially those in the ruling classes are getting richer and the middle class is shrinking. The value of our homes is disappearing, the taxes on them continue to increase. You think you own your home? Try not paying the taxes.

How many politicians take office with moderate incomes and become millionaires? It ain't an accident. Remember Terry McAuliffe bragging about what a great schmoozer he is and how many goodies he'd have to give out when he's governor? You think he gives out those goodies for free? The man is a crook.

Yup, corruption is rampant and power brokers don't give up their power easily. Clive Bundy is in the way of some big deals and Harry Reid and his cronies won't rest until he's gone like all the other ranchers in Clark County. Let's pray for the Bundy's. Lord Jesus, protect them and their beautiful family. Give us leaders who love the principles on which this country was founded. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, pray for us.

See below the full clip of Clive Bundy's press conference where he was talking about wanting to get more blacks and Hispanics to attend the party out at the ranch. Listen to his discussion of the strength of Mexican families. Does he sound like a racist?

Now watch the edited version released to get full effect for labeling this man an ignorant racist.

Even before the New York Times distorted (SURPRISED?) his comments and took them out of the full context of the discussion about valuing people, Bundy was meeting with local minorities to encourage their attendance at the ranch party. His secretary also weighed in on the issue.

Why would all the so-called conservative politicians and commentators grab the knives handed to them by the New York Times? The Times is an enemy of truth, hates conservatives, and will happily distort anything that conflicts with their liberal agenda! So why did conservatives including politicians like Rand Paul immediately jump on the massacre-Bundy bandwagon?

Because all they care about are their own butts. Omigosh, we might be labeled with the "racist" brush. Omigosh, it might damage me in the next election. (quiver, quiver, shake, bite nails, turn pail, swoon...)
Clive Bundy is a decent man, a family man, a hard worker, a patriot. He is a "great American" for real, not like the blowhards at FOX like Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly.

If you look at the two videos on YouTube, over 400,000 have seen the edited version; only 127,000 have seen the full version. Let's change that. Please pass this around. Clive Bundy is from a generation that doesn't play the political correctness game. He's an honest man who probably expects others to be honest as well. He's new to the media circus and hasn't recognized the wolves yet and the politicians and media blowhards with the long knives. Cut the man some slack and recognize the real racists who refuse to give blacks school choice to educate their children, but will happily murder them in the womb.

Below is what a black Marine has to say about the Clive Bundy comment.

Charlie DeltaThe media distorts information to the point of social division. This is a photo of myself and the resilient, often charismatic, and maybe not so tactful Cliven Bundy. He’s a cowboy and a helluva family man, not an orator. One thing he definitely isn’t – a racist. I found his comments to not only be NOT racist, but his own view of his experiences. Who the heck are we to determine another man’s perspective on the world around him?! Just because Picasso’s view of the world was abstract, does it negate the fact that his art was genuine? Furthermore, if you take the time to do your own research, you’ll find that his statements about some black Americans actually hold weight. He posed a hypothetical question. He said, “I wonder IF” … Hell, I’m black and I often wonder about the same about the decline of the black family. Bottom line is that we are all slaves in this waning republic, no matter our skin color. Mr. Bundy could have used any racial demographic as an example: Native Americans on reservations, whites in trailer parks, etc. He noticed the crippling effects of receiving government “assistance” and the long term result of accepting handouts. It’s not progress at all. I challenge Sean Hannity, Rand Paul, and others to read my comment and reconsider their position in this matter. Individual liberties are at stake here, yours and mine. THAT is the issue. Don’t let the liberal media and ignoramuses like Glenn Beck and that weasel Harry Reid make you lose sight of the real issue here: The federal government is a burgeoning behemoth and a bully on a once constitutional playground.I sincerely hope you real patriots out there who can see through the smoke.

I was nauseated last night watching that panderer Bill O'Reilly go after Clive Bundy for his "racist" remarks. Omigosh, he used the word "Negro" in 2014. How racist! And he compared the government projects and programs that have destroyed the black family to slavery. Oh and Sean Hannity is feeling so betrayed as well. He's the victim of Bundy. Play the violins for that "great American" coward Sean.

Well, duh! Johnson's Great Society took the black family, drove dads out of the home, rounded up and herded blacks into federal projects, and started giving out their meager goodies to convince them to stay on the Democrats' plantation and always vote for their white, elitist massahs.

So, how are you doing on your new year's resolution? Do you remember what it was? Or did you make one at all?

For year's I made and abandoned mine by mid January, but then I decided to pick things that are very specific and doable. Resolving to "lose weight" is a loser. Resolving to eat no more than one sweet a day is a more likely winner.

Ah...but they told us this wasn't the way same-sex marriage would be. No, it's just like heterosexual marriage only the two people are same sex. Well, folks, here's the reality in Massachusetts, one of the nuttiest states in the country. And why not a marriage next month between four lesbians, or six, or two lesbians and two gay guys. That would save money on making babies. Just use the M word and a turkey baster.

How bizarre will things get? Just use your imagination. If you can imagine it, expect it. Two guys and their German Shepherd? Why not? A guy, his dog, and his goat?

Of course PETA might not like getting the animals involved without their consent. But, hey, maybe they can bark twice to show their approval.

This morning's gospel reading was the two disciples meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It's one of my favorite Easter events. There's so much humor in the story. The disciples are presumably "going home" to their village of Emmaus which was about seven miles northeast of Jerusalem. They are sad and disheartened despite the fact that the women reported that Jesus was risen. Obviously they don't believe it. Jesus made no secret of the fact that His death and Resurrection were going to happen, but His thick-headed followers had their own expectation and nothing was going to budge them from their sadness and disappointment when they didn't materialize.

That’s exactly what I feel like yelling this time every year as Gay Days descend upon Orlando. I know that during the first week in June, unsuspecting families and otherwise good and reasonable people will, at times, be confronted with images and events they would probably rather not see or experience on their family vacation. These people paid to visit Disney World, but during the first week in June, it looks a lot more like South Beach.

For the record, I’m a 42-year old gay man living in Orlando. I’ve been to Gay Days before, and thought it was a little bit over the top, but always bit my lip – especially here on the site. This year though, it just seems completely out of control, and I wanted to get this off my chest.
I’ve watched over the years as Gay Days has grown in scope and size. What once was a small group of well-meaning gay men and lesbians has grown – and in my opinion, deformed – into what is now nothing more than a vile spectacle of self indulgence and indecency. (Read the rest.)

Now I ask you...who looks like terrorists? The cowpokes on horseback protecting the Bundy family by their presence or the BLM snipers on the hill with American citizens in their gunsites, using tasers on people, and throwing a pregnant woman on the ground? It's Ruby Ridge and Waco 2. And it sure looks like the feds trying to provoking a confrontation so they could justify mowing down innocent folks -- again. Remember Ruby Ridge and Waco? The government shot first in both cases and then they murdered people without provocation. And for what? Randy Weaver was entrapped into sawing off a shotgun! That justified attacking his property with a swat team, killing the dogs, then shooting a 14-year-old child in the back because he shot his gun in the air? That justified murdering Vicky as she stood in the door holding their infant child? And David Koresh. So he was an oddball with some different religious beliefs. The local child services had investigated reports that the children were endangered and found them unfounded. So what were the feds doing to "save the children?" Their assault was unjustified and they murdered almost 100 innocent people with terrorist tactics including assaulting the compound at all hours with loud rock music and pumping the building full of a dangerous gas. If you watch the videos it also looks like they shot anyone trying to escape the building. And we're supposed to trust our government? The feds legitimized all the fears of government held by the Branch Davidians! And now the Clive Bundy ranch is invaded by snipers, drones, and war machines for NOT PAYING GRAZING FEES?

Let me ask that again. You really think the feds are justified engaging in an armed militaristic confrontation with a SWAT team over failure to pay grazing fees? What ever happened to garnishing wages? No, this is all about corruption and money! Why did the government build a super highway out in the middle of nowhere near the Bundy ranch? Watch the video below and follow the money! Thar's big plans for them thar hills and the Bundy family isn't part of it. Now the Harry Reid family, that may be a different story. The BLM is transferring land to cronies with influence.

No, this is not about the grazing fees. Bundy is the last rancher in Clark County after they've driven off dozens of others. He is the last man standing against Leviathan and they want to destroy him if he refuses to go quietly so they can use the land as they wish. Watch the video: "They need to put the access road through the Bundy ranch....because of the lay of the land. They need to go right through the center of the Bundy ranch." And if they have to use violence or IRS shenanigans they'll do it. This isn't over by a long shot and it's a shot across the bow for all freedom-loving Americans. Wake up, it could be your property next if they want it for a shopping mall, a development, or a park.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Sanger called for a ten year moratorium on babies in the developed world in 1947, the year I was born. If her philosophy had prevailed, I would have lost at least four of my siblings who were born in 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, and a little brother in 1956 who died. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your generosity in giving life and recognizing that babies are God's opinion that world should go on. Margaret Sanger really was the godmother of the Culture of Death and one of the most selfish people who ever lived. May God have mercy on her soul.

Let us pray: O God, who by the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, has been pleased to fill the world with joy, grant, we beseech You, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may receive the joys of eternal life, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray:O God, who by the resurrection of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,granted joy to the whole world: grant, we beg You, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.

Want to fight terrorism? Stand against the "uber-aggressive" federal government that lines up snipers against patriotic Americans while leaving our borders undefended and welcomes an invasion of illegals, including drug cartels and terrorists, crossing our borders unhindered. What's wrong with this picture?

The judge criticizes the "authoritative, militaristic ways" and the "overreach" of the Feds. He describes Bundy as becoming a popular national hero. "In the hearts and minds of Americans [Clive Bundy] he's won because he has resisted the uber-agressive enforcement by the federal government of their victory in court."Read more here.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Somebody put a bag over her head -- please. She never misses an opportunity to make herself ridiculous. She claims to be a "devout" Catholic. No devout Catholic would do this. But, for a Democrat, it's all about the meaning of "is". So "Is" Nancy a devout Catholic. Hahahahhahahahahahahahah...........

Larry and I watched Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ last night as our Good Friday meditation. During the day I read St. Francis de Sale's Lenten talk for Good Friday. What a world of difference between words on a page and visceral images of the beatings and scourgings!

This is only the second time I've seen the film. I could never bring myself to put it on again remembering how graphic and gruesome it was, how barbaric his torturers were. I'm reminded of the surgeon, Pierre Barbet, who wrote in his book, A Doctor at Calvary, that he can no longer walk the way of the cross because he is so aware of what our salvation cost the Savior:

I don't agree with everything in this little film. Reagan made his own contribution to bigger government. And Paul Ryan wouldn't necessarily be my choice for president. But the principles presented here and the facts of a growing out-of-control federal government is right on. Fight the left by choosing the right.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Thank you, Jesus, for instituting the Holy Eucharist so that we can say, not, Jesus DWELT among us, but, instead, Jesus DWELLS among us. How blessed are we who embrace the fullness of the faith so that we can receive Jesus daily in His Real Presence and be united with Him in the closest covenant on earth.

I was so shocked to come across your blog; I read your comments regarding the retreat for LGBT folks at St Theresa's in Palm Springs. Why are you so anti-gay? What happened to you in your life that would make you crusade against people who only want the same things you do: love, a happy life and peace?

I worked for a Catholic organization in the Bay Area for ten years and I will tell you that at least one third of the clergy was gay. If you have an issue with this, you should find another faith....but good luck, because we are everywhere.

My advice to you is to work on softening your heart. You are obviously very afraid of all things gay for a reason. Good luck with your self reflection!

Pray for priests today as they celebrate the institution of the priesthood at the Chrism Mass. You can read the pope's homily to the priests attending the Chrism Mass representing all the priests of the world here. I've copied the first two paragraphs below, but be sure to read the entire lovely document:

In the eternal “today” of Holy Thursday, when Christ showed his love for us to the end (cf. Jn 13:1), we recall the happy day of the institution of the priesthood, as well as the day of our own priestly ordination. The Lord anointed us in Christ with the oil of gladness, and this anointing invites us to accept and appreciate this great gift: the gladness, the joy of being a priest. Priestly joy is a priceless treasure, not only for the priest himself but for the entire faithful people of God: that faithful people from which he is called to be anointed and which he, in turn, is sent to anoint.

Anointed with the oil of gladness so as to anoint others with the oil of gladness. Priestly joy has its source in the Father’s love, and the Lord wishes the joy of this Love to be “ours” and to be “complete” (Jn 15:11). I like to reflect on joy by contemplating Our Lady, for Mary, the “Mother of the living Gospel, is a wellspring of joy for God’s little ones” (Evangelii Gaudium, 288). I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that priest is very little indeed: the incomparable grandeur of the gift granted us for the ministry sets us among the least of men. The priest is the poorest of men unless Jesus enriches him by his poverty, the most useless of servants unless Jesus calls him his friend, the most ignorant of men unless Jesus patiently teaches him as he did Peter, the frailest of Christians unless the Good Shepherd strengthens him in the midst of the flock. No one is more “little” than a priest left to his own devices; and so our prayer of protection against every snare of the Evil One is the prayer of our Mother: I am a priest because he has regarded my littleness (cf. Lk 1:48). And in that littleness we find our joy.

Justina seems to have fewer rights than prisoners. They have religious services. She's been denied access to a priest or to Mass for her entire incarceration. Prisoners have access to educational programs. Justina hasn't seen a teacher or school book in over a year. Why? What did that poor little girl do to deserve torture and experimentation by Boston Children's Hospital and DCF? The first rule of medicine is "Do no harm." Where are the courts in defending this poor little girl. Judge Joseph Johnston is a disgrace to the legal profession and should be removed and disbarred. And Justina should immediately be returned to her family.

Please pray during the holy Triduum that this little girl will personally experience the Resurrection of Easter by going home with her family. And may God convert the hearts of her jailers.

It's ALWAYS about the money, certainly not about saving the desert tortoise.

The lucrative business opportunities explain both why Cliven Bundy has been facing such intense intimidation and why all the other ranchers have been chased out. Bundy represents a financial threat not merely to Reid, but a whole gamut of Democrats tied to Obama, Clinton and Gore.

This is what has been discovered by examining only a few of the 50-plus projects. Doubtless there are similar stories behind some, if not all, of the others.

If Democrat-linked entrepreneurs plan to turn the West into a massive arena for green projects, the implications are disturbing. The projects will eventually go as all others have gone before: failing as the unsustainable costs, maintenance problems and unseen environmental catastrophes they create become intolerable. The true goal of “green” energy, say cynics, is to make these people wealthier, not to save the environment.

Love of money is the root of all evils. And greed is the name of the game. Many of forefathers were financially devastated by serving our country. Today, our politicians go to Washington to strike it rich. Many come in with modest incomes and go out millionaires. And you thought we had no house of lords.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

How many times do I betray Christ? How many times do I put human respect or selfishness ahead of God's will in my life? How many times do I close my eyes to the needs of my neighbors because they did not meet my expectations or I found them not to my taste? Judas is part of my nature. I know him well. Would I scream, "Crucify him!" before Pilate? Would I mock my God hanging on the cross? Please no, Lord. Make me all yours and then do with me what You will.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

On Monday of Holy Week Jesus made His authority very clear, not only over nature by cursing the fig tree, but over the Temple. Now on Tuesday, He returns with the apostles to the temple precincts and engages in teaching and dispute with the chief priests, pharisees, and elders. They demand to know by what authority He acts? He responds by asking them a question. "If you give me an answer, I will tell you on what authority I do the things I do. Tell me, was John's baptism of divine origin or merely from men?"

The pharisees in their worldly "prudence" consider, not the answer, but what will be the impact of their answer on the crowd following Jesus. They aren't interested in truth, but only in their own power and influence. And so, seeing a no win situation, they take the coward's way out. "We do not know," they say. And Jesus refuses to answer their hypocritical question.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Reid on Monday told KRNV-TV in Reno: “It’s not over. We can’t have an American people that violate the law and then just walk away from it. So it’s not over.”

Is this a joke? We have illegal aliens invading the country in massive numbers and not only walk away from our laws, but collect food stamps, overwhelm our schools and hospitals, run drugs for the cartels. But an American family who has been grazing cattle on public lands for over 100 years are lawbreakers?

Mack, a longtime sheriff, told WND that Reid’s statements are beyond the pale.

“That kind of stupidity, where he puts federal regulations and policies of bureaucrats ahead of a family in his state that has done no wrong or committed a crime,” Mack said.

He charged that it is Reid who is destroying his own state’s ranching industry as well as the U.S. Constitution. The sheriff chided the senator for making statements about abiding by laws.“Isn’t that amazing? The biggest crook in Washington,” Mack said.

On the issue of a raid, he said: “That’s what we have heard. It’s not confirmed. People we had on the inside told us the BLM still is considering raiding the Bundy ranch. We’re going to keep in touch with them, protect them, pray for them.”

Sheriff Mack is the head of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association They work closely with another group of law enforcement officers called Oath Keepers. Read the list of orders these patriots swear to disobey! America may be in trouble, but we still have good men (and women) committed to the principles on which this country was founded. Pray for them and for the Republic, one nation, under God...with liberty and justice for all. As for Harry Reid and politicians of his ilk, they make you long for the day when citizens tarred and feathered them and ran them out of town on a rail.

Part of the land ENN wants to use was purchased from Clark County at well below appraised value. Rory Reid is the former Clark County Commission chairman, and he persuaded the commission to sell 9,000 acres of county land to ENN on the promise it would provide jobs for the area, Reuters reported in 2012....

Further, Loesch reports, Harry Reid pressured the BLM to change the tortoise's protected zone to accommodate developer Harvey Whittemore, one of the Democrat's top donors.Whittemore was convicted in May 2013 of making illegal campaign contributions to him.

"BLM has proven that they’ve a situational concern for the desert tortoise as they’ve had no problem waiving their rules concerning wind or solar power development," Loesch writes.
"Clearly, these developments have vastly affected a tortoise habitat more than a century-old, quasi-homesteading grazing area. If only Clive Bundy were a big Reid donor."

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem with the apostles. As they walk along the way, He sees a fig tree in the distance. Being hungry, He approaches it to look for figs, but it's not the time for figs. So why does Jesus curse the fig tree?

Well, Jesus never did anything without a point. So the question is, what was He trying to teach the apostles then and us now?

The fig tree episode appears between Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem where he "went into the temple precincts [and]...inspected everything there" and the cleansing of the temple the next day when he drives out the money lenders and merchants telling them they've made His Father's house a "den of thieves." Note during the cleansing of the temple that Jesus "began to teach them." These two teaching episodes emphasize the kingship and authority of Jesus. He and the Father are one. The temple is His to cleanse and protect.

Between these two scenes we have the fig tree event. It is Monday of Holy Week. Being hungry gives Jesus a reason to approach the fig tree and, finding no fruit, He curses it. "Never again shall anyone eat of your fruit!" He says. But Christ's purpose is more than about looking for fruit. He is teaching the apostles an important truth which Mark emphasizes by saying, "His disciples heard all this."

So what was He teaching? The fig tree in Hebrew Scriptures represents the nation of Israel. The prophets compare faithful Israel to a fruitful vine or a basket of delicious figs. What Jesus is showing His apostles is that the nation and the temple, instead of being a source of sanctification, have become nothing but empty show where lengthened phylacteries and scrupulous attention to the law represent the showy green leaves on the fruitless fig tree. Actually, finding figs would have prevented His teaching point. And, remember, when they return the next day, they find the tree withered "to its roots." Wow! What a lesson for us. We had better be faithful, fruitful servants! We don't want to hear the Master saying, "Tear down this useless tree. Why should it litter up the garden?" Let us pray for grace to persevere and always conform ourselves to the will of God. May Jesus Christ be prainsed!

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Omigosh! A corrupt politician, political power, cronyism...can it be true? A Democrat acting like a mafia thug instigating a federal agency with snipers and helicopters to target Americans so he can see the land rented to the Chinese and other business interests? No, no...what American politician wold possibly put the interests of foreign powers ahead of an American rancher in his own state?

Saturday, April 12, 2014

We know the feds have backed down and that's good. But it's only because patriots came to the defense of Clive Bundy and his family. Go back to the video. Pay attention when they pan the crowd: old folks, young folks, parents, scouts.... These are the salt of the earth kind of people, farmers and ranchers...you know the ones derided by Obama as "clinging to their guns and their Bibles." But this man's eloquence reminds me of Patrick Henry against the tyranny of another age:

Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace²but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! [Read his complete speech here.]

This is our heritage! May we not squander it in exchange for a bowl of pottage! Pray for all those persecuted by our out-of-control Empire of evil. I don't say that lightly. The U.S. government mandates evil, exports evil, and many of our politicians and cultural leaders are committed to evil (usually in the pursuit of power, pleasure, and plunder). Pray and fight. And don't forget that our most powerful weapons are spiritual!

Pope Francis is talking about the devil again. It's obvious he's a believer in the corrupter of souls! And Holy Week is a good time to reflect on his evil designs. You can't resist an enemy if you don't recognize him, so learn to "discern the spirits" as St. John says, because the devil can appear as an angel of light.

The devil, a liar and murderer from the beginning, isn't going to present sin in its ugliness. You won't see him depicting sodomy as painting fesces on the wall or the consequences of adultery with devastated children acting out with drugs and alcohol. No, sex is for pleasure and however you want to engage in it is your "freedom of choice." Enjoy, it's pleasurable. Who can dare to judge you for just having fun? A broken-hearted spouse? Grieving parents? Scandalized children? Diseases? Forget about them. You have a right to be happy!

Well, the Holy Father has no illusions about the devil and here's what he tells us:

Some of you might say: ‘But Father, how old fashioned you are to speak about the devil in the 21st century!’ But look out because the devil is present! The devil is here… even in the 21st century! And we mustn’t be naïve, right? We must learn from the Gospel how to fight against Satan.

Fight the enemy this week with the Eucharist, Confession, the rosary, Stations of the Cross, Scripture reading, prayer, and meditation. When you are most under attack, pray the St. Michael Prayer and repeat the powerful name of Jesus. "My Jesus I trust in You." Resist the devil and he will flee from you!

May this Holy Week bring us all closer to the Lord of Life who loves us enough to stretch out His arms on the cross and die to save us from eternal damnation. "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine."

Friday, April 11, 2014

Anybody wonder how things happened the way they did in Nazi Germany? People just following orders. Read this article and the statement of the ranger dragged into Nevada from out of state to persecute Clive Bundy and his family for daring to graze their cattle on public land, a practice in their family since the 1880s. The family pays land use fees to the county, but the Bureau of Land Management says they owe over a million dollars to the feds. Hey, if they want the land it's their land!

Can anyone explain to me how the feds have the right to just scoop of state lands all over the country and declare it federalized? If the EPA sees a puddle on your property they can declare it a wetland. If a snail darter is found in your pond or a kangaroo rat in your field, you can lose any right to use your property as you wish. If the government decides

Remember when cattle rustlin' was a hanging offense? Not if it's the feds of Amerika. Hey, you sell raw milk they'll invade your store and smash all the bottles on your shelves. You dare to be different or politically incorrect, prepare for a home invasion. This is scary! God help the Bundy family. And get the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) thugs out of Nevada!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

And what a blessing to combine them both. Anybody who's been reading my blogs for long knows that Larry and I are novice beekeepers and loving it! So if you want to see what Springtime is bringing in the way of our love of our grandkids and our love for nature, check it out here. You can admire our girls -- we have a cast of thousands!

Someone in a position of prominence in a Catholic parish cannot be publicly thumbing his nose at the Church without causing serious scandal. No matter how gifted a musician is, if he is living a disordered life that causes scandal he (or she) must be removed. It would be the same for a teacher in a Catholic school living in fornication with her boyfriend. We're all sinners, but you cannot profess to be living an authentic Catholic life while flaunting Church teaching.

Good for Fr. Roos. He deserves our public thanks. Pray for Mike McMahon. There is no such thing as same-sex "marriage." No matter how much you want to play let's pretend, two men do not have the body parts to unite and pro-create. They can only play in each feces which most of us outgrew when we shed our diapers. It is a sad day that our world has accepted as normal something so diseased and distorted. God, our Father, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

I recently had a phone conversation with a fellow parishioners who is going to Germany to visit with her daughter and family. In the course of our exchange she said, "It's interesting. They do things so differently at the Church there," and went on to mention a few innocuous items. Then she said, "At Communion the priest invites everyone up to make a semicircle around him and then distributes the hosts and they all take Communion together." I almost dropped the phone.

The first thing I thought of when she told me this was, "Who receives Communion that way?"

Here's the answer:

Concelebrating priests receive the Eucharist from the main celebrant BEFORE he receives and they all Communicate together.

So what does it say when a priest does what my friend described? It treats the laity as concelebrating ministers of the Eucharist which is fundamentally dishonest and confusing. It also removes their right to receive on the tongue which is the preferred form of reception.

Jesus said clearly that those who are faithful in small things will be faithful in greater. I'm not sure how small the liturgical abuse described is frankly. It sounds pretty serious to me. But, isn't it interesting that priests are often telling Catholics to conform to their own particular idiosyncrasies, like standing after Communion until everyone returns to the pew (real consideration for the elderly, eh?), while laity who refuse to conform to priestly browbeathing are anathemized and called lacking in humility. My take on it? Shepherd, heal thyself!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Since we have a granddaughter at Pittsburgh area high school, my heart skipped a beat when I saw this headline. Thank God it wasn't her school, but that's no relief for all the kids and parents whose children do attend that school. Will we now hear demands for "knife control?"

It's enough to make anybody insane! So is it really surprising to see muggings, bombings, shootings, knifings, flash mob robberies, police brutality, etc., etc. on a daily basis? After all, when God is ousted, every man becomes his own god. And gods have a right to do what they want, capisce?

Isn't it time to declare a national day of prayer and atonement? We'll never get it from this godless administration, but that can't keep us from making it personally. Let Good Friday be our personal day of prayer and atonement for our poor country. My growing up years were certainly not problem free (A pervert exposed himself to me when I was eleven or twelve.), but compared to today I was living in the era of innocence and peace.

[Fr.] Kavcak, a priest of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. was once the pastor at Our Lady of Solitude in Palm Springs and is now pastor at neighboring Saint Theresa Church where the retreat will be held. Father Kavcak rented Our Lady of Solitude Church for at least two full days to Hollywood producer, Jerry Weintraub, so that church scenes could be filmed in the movie Behind the Candelabra, a gay men’s sordid love story involving Liberace in his late 50s and a young teenage guy.

Send a message to Bishop Gerald Barnes. Don't expect much since he approved the lewd movie event. But, hey, people can change, even bishops, and they sure don't like bad publicity. So make sure to advertise this far and wide! Unfortunately, Bishop Barnes has a history of homosexual promotion. Check it out here. Pray for bishops. In large part, they are a big part of what's wrong with the Church in the U.S. They sleep with the Democrats who hate God and the Church. Many endorse all things Democrat. They tell Catholics to obey the law (like Barnes endorsing Obamacare) while they champion illegal aliens breaking our laws. They endorse injustice against citizens demanding that those who invade our borders aren't really guilty of crimes. They call government theft "charity" while our country is being undermined and our values destroyed.

God save us from bishops who often live in luxury (go here, and here, and here) on the donations of the middle class in the pews while their flocks grow increasingly poorer because of big government liberalism. Shame on them and their hypocrisy!

The situation at Charlotte Catholic High School with the politically incorrect Dominican nun is still in the news. I have no idea whether Sister said anything imprudent. Which of us doesn't occasionally? But regardless, Fr. Kauth, the chaplain, made it clear that she said nothing contrary to Catholic teaching. She apparently quoted unpopular statistics from reputable sources that point out the serious ramifications of a number of family issues. And with children whose faith is often dry and parched, the spark exploded into the wildfire that has engulfed Sister and others who offend the zeitgeist.

Fr. Z has a great post on this that I hope you'll read. Here's the beginning:

...with Richard Burton and Victor Mature. (Go here.) By today's standards I suppose many folks would find it boring, although there was one good chariot chase scene with Roman legions pursuing a coach driven by four beautiful white horses. But how respectful the filmmakers were toward Christian beliefs! Oh for those days when Christians were portrayed as courageous, kind, tolerant...all the adjectives Paul used to describe love in 1 Corinthinans 13.

Instead, today Christians are portrayed as ignorant fanatics, "domestic terrorists" who want to string up every sinner on the planet, which would, of course, include ourselves.

But the cardinal sin today is not to embrace and celebrate the sins of the culture. We must say all that is evil is good or be fired from our jobs, jammed as "phobes," ridiculed, and endure a barrage of character assassination.

I thank God for my grandchildren who remind me that God must want the world to go on because He continues to send us little ones. Thank you, Lord, for another day and for our new grandbaby born on April 4th. He still carries heaven's perfume!

Monday, April 7, 2014

I loved him in National Velvet and years later in The Black Stallion. He was a staple of my childhood and I watched many of his old movies on the 5 0'Clock Show in Philadelphia when I was in high school. It makes me smile just to think of his brash, boyish, enthusiastic performances in every movie he ever made. I think I'll have to schedule a Mickey Rooney marathon after Lent.

But the best news about Mickey was his conversion. After a much-troubled life that included many marriages, alcoholism, a gambling addiction, and a bad attitude he described as "cocky" and "selfish" he chose Jesus as his Savior. And a quote going around Facebook is this: "All the muddy waters of my life cleared up when I gave myself to Christ." Can anyone find the source of the quote? I haven't but I'm still looking. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mickey Rooney today. He made good and decent films that uplifted people and showed family, friendship, and love as wholesome. Not such a bad history, especially compared to today's depravity. Thanks, Mickey, rest in peace!

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Who are fed by others? Those who are dependent and those who are in love. Babies and the elderly often need assistance from those who love them. Lovers feed one another -- think of the tradition of sweetly feeding each other the wedding cake (and not smashing it disrespectfully in each other's faces).

We are dependent on God and we want to be in a relationship of deep and intimate love with Him. That is what receiving on the tongue is all about. It is a humble, loving, and reverent gesture of our love for God and dependence on Him. Think about it....

The baby's name is Cecelia who is also the patron saint of music. And the outpouring of love following the senseless murder of Cecelia's daddy in Indianapolis must certainly bring music, even if sad, to the hearts of those who love him. Nathan Trapuzanno's suffering and that of his young wife and tiny infant daughter may very well save the souls of his murderers. Let us pray for that. And if you have the means, please donate to this lovely Catholic widow. It is inspirational to read that the night before their wedding they asked the priest witnessing their marriage to hear the Confessions of the wedding party. May the Divine Assistance be always with us and may the souls of the faithful departed, especially Nathan, rest in peace.

I often reflect on how to keep the Lord's Day? We generally don't shop, but will stop at Sheetz for gas and the paper. The mall is a big no-no, but we occasionally go to a restaurant. We avoid laundry and yard work except sometimes a little fun gardening which seems like a hobby to me and not work

In the old days of "Blue Laws" it was easy to keep the Lord's Day holy because everything was closed. If you didn't pick it up on Saturday, you did without until Monday.

But what exactly does it mean to avoid servile work in our modern day?

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Comments are moderated. Please be respectful. Argument (in the classical sense) is welcome, however crude, or obscene remarks will not be posted. I am more lenient with ad hominem attacks directed at me (no name-calling) since so many people these days don't seem to know how to engage in a discussion without them. No anti-Catholic comments will be posted. If you are a bigot, go somewhere else.